Dear list, Am about to expand from no garden to five acres! I am about to rent a house and land to try it for a year and see what it will support.
Most of it is in grass for hay, which I can cut two or three times and bale to sell for hay. The owner is not wanting me to have animals at present (insurance agent makes her nervous), although she wouldn't mind chickens if I can keep them alive--lots of predator birds in the area. There is an enclosed half-shaded garden area where I could perhaps talk her into letting me keep goats, and neighbors have ducks. I really want a cow, but I need to let Spirit work on her a while before I bring that up again. :) I can plow up as much of the grassed area as I wish for a market garden, which I would like to do. They used to pasture cattle here, so the soil is probably fertile--haven't tested it, but the grass looks very healthy. No equipment here, just a lawn mower and an old horse-driven plow. She hires a custom farmer to do the hay, so I could probably get plowing etc. Of course I'm going into this with an abundance of enthusiasm and gratitude but no master plan. My first interest is putting good food on the table for my family, but I'd also like to make some money at it this year if possible. I know how much work that is, but I like it. Any advice from anyone who's entered this type of arrangement before? We're still negotiating details, and I'm trying to be as clear as I can about what I hope and expect from the arrangement. I would try to buy it from her, but it's in a somewhat pricey area and she thinks she'll make a killing from it some day. No chemicals have been used here since at least 1998, although she admits she has used some spray around the house for wasps. Thanks, Pam -- _______________________________________________ Sign-up for your own FREE Personalized E-mail at Email.com http://www.email.com/?sr=signup
